This map tool displays worldwide outbreaks, cases, and deaths caused by viruses and bacteria. You can even see Anthrax threats/hoaxes. Click on the map to view the various diseases. If you prefer, scroll through the various diseases below the map using the chart to identify specific outbreaks.

In the Classroom

Use the various types of diseases to learn more about bacteria, viruses, and epidemiology. Students can create a presentation to teach others about a various disease. Create a multimedia presentation or create a blog or wiki post that shows information as well as current outbreaks around the world. Have students research how the disease is transmitted and factors that lead to outbreaks in certain places. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.

This teens' branch of Learn English (created in the UK) contains interactives, short stories, poems, grammar bits, and a video zone with many short videos. You can also write captions for humorous photos. The vocabulary zone organizes words into various categories. The exam section gives advice on exam preparation for all types of tests including listening, speaking, and reading as well as study tips. Don't miss the free time section and a magazine with articles written by peers. A free log-in allows teens access to printed versions of the stories (with questions), the ability to make comments, enter competitions, answer polls, and even submit writings. Since this site was created in the UK, you will notice some spelling differences from American English.

In the Classroom

Introduce this site to your class on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Make a shortcut to this site on classroom computers and have your ELL/ESL students use it as one of your learning stations. Short stories and other interactive features of the site would work well with weaker readers and learning support students, too. Encourage your ESL/ELL students to share their writings here (if allowed by school policy).

Find the numbers of preventable diseases that have been confirmed in various areas around the world using this visual map. The preventable diseases shown include Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Polio, and Whooping Cough. Each of the diseases is completely preventable by vaccine. Click on each circle to see the number of cases, date range, and a link to the source data.

In the Classroom

Use this tool during a unit on infectious disease in biology or health classes. Identify the difference between a cluster outbreak, secondary transmission, epidemic, and other categories of outbreak. View the various diseases and have students research each to report to the class about the transmission and dangers of each of the diseases. Identify the prevalence of various diseases in certain parts of the World compared to other locations. Identify why certain diseases are found in each of these areas. Research various ways to prevent further epidemics from occurring as well as the various social, religious, and political issues. Assign cooperative learning groups a disease to investigate. Use an online tool such a Creately (reviewed here) to create diagrams and other visual graphic organizers.

Use this tool to find the median household income of the US by each Census tract. Search by city or state. Or click the "little orange man" and drag him to the location you want to view on the US map. You will be taken to "Street View" (see the street up close) to view the income for that exact block. Find the median income by color blocks.

In the Classroom

Propose reasons for the differences in median income in a particular area or state. Research industry, agriculture, level of education, and other factors to determine the reasons. Investigate at the nearby ports and natural resources. Why do certain parts of the country have higher incomes and/or costs of living? How is income connected to education level? Students can identify patterns that exist among the data. They can form hypotheses about why. Create a campaign to bridge the wage gap by suggesting ideas to increase salaries in areas. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here or Venngage reviewed here. Teachers of gifted will find "rich" possibilities for discussion from this site.

Find videos related to social education, health, citizenship, religions, the environment, crime, and countless eclectic topics at this UK-based site. Though some are controversial, this is a great set of resources for the introduction of difficult subjects to a class. Events that coordinate with videos are listed along the right side of the site. Choose from subjects along the top including Body and Health, Crime, Culture, and more. Many of the videos deal with worldwide issues from a non-U.S. point of view, offering a different perspective. Be sure to preview videos before you share. Some do deal with rather controversial topics. If necessary, check with your administration about the appropriate use of these videos before sharing withe the class OR sharing the link on your class website.

In the Classroom

Share specific videos on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Use a video to introduce a debate topic or as a prompt for persuasive writing. As a media literacy exercise, ask students to find another video (perhaps on YouTube) that presents an opposing viewpoint on the same topic as one here. Then challenge cooperative learning groups to create their own videos on this or another controversial topic being discussed in class. Share the videos using a tool such as TeacherTube reviewed here.

The Brown Bookcase showcases literature for young readers written by and featuring people of color. View archives going back to 2007 to find book reviews, author's chats, and some videos that accompany books featured on the site. A flagship feature of the site is the 28 Days Later portion. Each day during Black History Month features a different author. It is a month-long showcase of the best in Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult novels written and illustrated by African Americans to help parents, teachers, librarians and booksellers recommend good reads. Archives are available beginning with the 2008 campaign.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Bookmark this site for use throughout the year, not just during Black History Month. Create a link on classroom computers for students to explore and find books for reading. Share this link on your class website or blog for students to use at home. Showcase books found on this site for classroom readalouds. Have students create commercials for books found on this site and share them using a tool such as SchoolTube reviewed here.

This CurriConnects list offers books about living green. Read all about efforts to live green and do what is good for our environment. These books tell about people who are DOING something more than complain about the environmental damage caused by poor human behavior. Help your students discover ideas to make a difference and contribute to positive change. This list includes books for all grade levels but is especially complete in elementary and middle grades. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles'® to match student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly. If your library does not have the books, try interlibrary loan!

In the Classroom

This is a great match during units on the environment, current events, or world issues. As students select and read from this list, they will have many opportunities to interact and find meaning from informational texts. This list is ideal during April for Earth Day or as you study the environment--or even geography and human impact on our planet.

This tool uses reports from social media to generate a map of sickness. The map tracks cold, flu, allergy, depression, and other symptoms in real time. It "senses" your location based on your Internet connection. Choose a disease to track in the drop down to view a specific map (allergies, fifth disease, strep throat, and others). Click on the map to view the hot spot areas and to see individual cases and symptoms reported via social media. This tool connects with Facebook to identify illness within groups of friends. Enter your own symptoms directly into Sickweather. This is a user generated map of self-reported symptoms (collected by social media and direct reporting). Data are as reliable as what people are saying.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Compare this with other disease symptom gathering sites such as this site or this tool to determine the difference in reporting and usefulness of each data tool. Identify common symptoms that would be reported for the various disease and how each is diagnosed in a patient. Research past occurrences of the diseases compared to the present and the reasons for the increase or decrease. This would be a great activity to use with the introduction of immunity and vaccinations and evolution of diseases. It is also a great way to connect discussions about health and hygiene to the real world. Government classes can discuss the role of public policy in public health. What should be the government role in public health and disease prevention?

This site features the latest discoveries by the scientists of top research universities throughout the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. There is a huge selection of topics to explore. Find current findings and research in the topics of Earth and Environment, Health and Medicine, Science and Technology, and Society and Culture. This free site is funded by the universities partnered in the project solely to share research news directly with the public.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Enter an email address to receive daily e-news. Use these articles as a way to connect current research to material being studied in class. If you are looking for informational texts to use for Common Core practice, this is a great place to start! Use to highlight the use of the scientific method and the importance of publishing findings. Critique the presentation of data and graphs. Determine if raw data could be presented in a different way. Assign students to choose a research topic from this site and research background information to present as a poster or a multimedia project. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Include this site in resources for career explorations or science fair inspiration.

Web of Stories is a very interesting collection of videos shared by some of the greatest scientists along with everyday people. It began as an archive of stories from scientists but expanded beyond science and into the realm of common life stories. Choices are from most popular stories, editor's choice, or featured films on the home page. The Lives portion of the site contains stories of people who have influenced the world: from Nobel Laureates to Oscar-winning cinematographers and more. Choose channels to find specific subjects ranging from Changing Faces (Living with Disfigurement), Sports, Technology, Family History and many more. You can upload your own videos using your computer's camcorder or with a prerecorded video. Register to add stories, recommend or comment on videos. Registration is not necessary to view videos. Caution: at the time of this review, a few videos dealt with topics appropriate for adults or older high school students, so please be sure to preview anything you wish to share. If you plan to allow students to explore on their own (which we don't recommend), be sure to closely monitor student use.

In the Classroom

Choose from videos on the site to watch on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) for any range of subjects. Make science more real by sharing these stories. Embed videos using the code on the site onto your class website or blog for students to view at home. Have students record responses using an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to create a visual comparison of two different videos on any given topic. Share videos with students to view when exploring career options.

Take an interactive look at poverty in America. Begin with an overall look at poverty statistics; then follow the links to break down information by race, gender, and more. Click on each pie chart to receive additional information and statistics. Other areas of the website include articles discussing economic issues, links to publications, and multimedia links to discussions on poverty. You can change the year from which the stats are displayed (from 1967 through 2010) so it is very useful to compare the statistics.

In the Classroom

The interactive graphics are perfect for use on your interactive whiteboard or projector. View statistics together as a class then have your class research statistics for your community. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to create a visual comparison of your community to national statistics or to compare years or decades.

Find a clickable, online poster explaining the most common logical fallacies. Simply rolling your cursor over the icon for the fallacy will give a definition. Click on it to find a further explanation and an example. Reducing each fallacy to a single simple sentence makes these easier to understand, and the examples given are amusing. There is also a free downloadable PDF of all the fallacies and their explanations presented on this site. A free poster in PDF format is available in three sizes. The free poster can be found at the bottom of the first page of this site.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Most academic writing presents a premise to be proved (an argument). When you first start to have your students try to understand logical fallacies, show them the online poster for logical fallacies and get them started trying to find these fallacies in their everyday lives. You could assign a fallacy a week and have students write in a journal, or a little tablet when they come across one. Or collect them on a class wiki with a page for each fallacy type. You could even have them make up their own logical fallacies. Have students create online posters on paper or do it together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard (reviewed here) or PicLits (reviewed here. After introducing logical fallacies, have students peer edit papers to make sure the writer is not trying to support one of these fallacies. Of course, any speech and debate, or media strategies class would benefit from a review this site. During political seasons, be sure to share this site for evaluating politicians' positions.

See what the world was like at that time with Take Me Back To. Type in any date you want to visit. Results offer a short text passage about who was president and what music was popular (if available). See samples of movies, magazines, book charts, advertisements, and more. Unfortunately, the site doesn't go back beyond 1900, so any search before that time will default to that date in 1900. Searches can be done on dates up to the present. Note that clicking on some of the images offered takes you to paid services or current issues of the same magazine.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Build context around historic dates using details of pop culture, magazines, and more. Have students search for their birthdate and write about significant events on that date. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to create a visual comparison of two different dates or of a past date with today. Ask students to generate questions about an important date, such as Pearl Harbor day, and use cultural details to generate a "snapshot" of what life was like before the world changed. What can you tell from the information shared here? How do you know? Challenge your students to use a site such as Timetoast reviewed here to create timelines of events in the 1900's.

This free site provides a color-coded mashup of current news headlines, clickable to see the full articles. View various sections of the news separately by clicking on the colored icons along the top. Sort into World, National, Finance, Tech, Showbiz, and Sport. To read the full article, click on the brief story (in the box). Use the drop-down feature to search news stories in a variety of other countries.

In the Classroom

Use this site to select current events for the day. Follow the same news thread for a period of time to look at changes and possible reasons for the change in the news. Be sure to check news stories from other countries for a different viewpoint on issues. Create a class discussion for the differences in viewpoints. Challenge cooperative learning groups to explore ONE of the subtopics (Showbiz, World, Finance, etc..) and present the highlights to the class. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.

Find interesting facts and comparisons to almost anything with this site, perfect for trivia fans everywhere! Using data from public records, manufacturer websites, and public records, you can view and sort information to meet your needs. Choose from main topics including economics, education, government, and more. Choose a subcategory. Refine and sort searches using filters included with each category. Change results to sort by desired results. For example, choose job salaries then sort by job title, total employment, average annual salary, or mean hourly pay. Site registration is available but not necessary.

In the Classroom

Find and compare data for almost anything your class needs! Compare salaries or life spans between countries. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here). Find and compare economic data for your state, look for the biggest meteor to hit the earth, or find the earliest recorded sighting of a meteor. Share with students to use when completing research projects. Have students share the information by creating a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Bookmark this site to use to find data or interesting facts at anytime.

The Center for Civic Education offers this site loaded with information and resources that support the democratic process. Choose the resources tab to take advantage of many lesson plans for all grade levels on topics such as President's Day, voting, Women's History Month, and many more. Choose the More Lesson Plans link to see a list of all lessons sorted by grade levels from K-12. Another interesting portion of the site is found at the media tab. Choose from video or photo galleries or the 60 Second Civics option. 60 Second Civics is a daily podcast accompanied with a short question. Previous podcasts are archived for access at your convenience. Subscribe with iTunes or Podcast Alley or visit the page to listen.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Share a link to the podcasts via your web page or blog. Have students answer the daily question then respond with a short journal entry or with comments on your webpage. Use lesson resources to supplement your current curriculum or commemorate events such as 9/11, MLK Day, Presidents Day, or Constitution Day. View videos on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Assign videos to groups of students to view then report to the class. Rather than a traditional report, challenge cooperative learning groups to collaborate on a topic found on the site using Titanpad reviewed here to share ideas and information.

Travel back in time via this video site. Slide the bar to any year from 1860 to the present. Choose a year and view a random video from that time. (Yes, we know there isn't video from 1860, but this features a YouTube video of the first sound ever recorded in 1860.) The information bar to the right of the video screen tells how many videos are available for that year and includes filters to include or exclude topics such as commercials, sports, movies, and music. Click the icon to move to a different video from the same year. Use the search bar at the top of each page to search for any topic to find videos available on the site. The one down side to the site is that videos are displayed randomly when choosing a year. It would be nice to have a complete list of all video titles available. Although the site uses Flash, there is a downloadable app available for viewing on mobile devices. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your school blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

History teachers will love using this site to give a perspective of time periods taught in class. Apply filters to limit the videos included. For example, turn off everything except current events if you are looking for news from a specific year. Share this site with students and have them explore videos available for a given time period. Use media to build a broader sense of what the time period was like. Ask student groups to watch enough that they can hypothesize a general description of what was important to people at the time, based on advertisements, news, and more. Have them keep a list of the things they observe and questions they would like to ask if they could talk to someone from that time period. Challenge students to create a newspaper article from their "era" using the Newspaper Clipping Generator. Share this site with students and challenge them to use a site such as TimeRime reviewed here to create an interactive timeline of historic events or people.

How would you handle the Cuban Missile Crisis? This site puts you in the role of President Kennedy deciding among several options for responding to the presence of Soviet missiles in Cuba. Click on the names of individual advisers and read the opinions of Secretary of State Dean Rusk, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, and Kennedy's brother Bobby. Study the strengths and weaknesses of five different options. Now choose the "best" option.

In the Classroom

This site is so perfect for the interactive whiteboard (or projector) you will feel you must take time to use it. Use this presentation as a "stop and check for understanding" lesson within the larger discussion of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the 1960s, or the Cold War. On an interactive whiteboard or projector, the whole class can participate. Additionally, the site might be available on a classroom computer for those who need further reinforcement or for students who are ready to challenge themselves to move to the next lesson.

Find a great set of resources including videos about climate change, potential problems, and mitigation. The site is organized like a concept map into three distinct areas: Exploring Earth's Climate, Exploring What Might Happen, and Exploring Our Future Choices. Click on a subtopic to view the video. Videos include subtitles and have related questions and answers along the side of the page.

In the Classroom

Use as a great introduction into Climate Change and its effects. Use as a resource for students to obtain information as well as other sources to find bias, peer reviewed material, and general consensus. Be sure to place this link on your list of resources or on your site, wiki, or blog for ease of use. Create a debate about the science and differing viewpoints to identify facts from opinion. Create a public service announcement to address climate change and simple steps everyone can take to make a difference locally.

The High School Journalism Initiative is a large site dedicated to high school journalists, teachers, and mentors. Choose from several different options such as news literacy, games, students, teachers, and more. You can view stories by teens, read school papers, find local journalism organizations, research colleges with journalism majors, and more. You can also find a large bank of lesson plans along with teaching tips, information on starting school newspapers, and links to featured school papers. Search the lesson archive to find lessons sorted by topic such as bias, ethics, or interviewing.

In the Classroom

This is a must-bookmark site for any high school journalism or English teacher and even as teacher background for Newspaper units at any level. Share resources with students. Download and use lesson plans. Assign groups of students different articles to read and present to the class. The News Literacy resources and feeds are also useful for social studies classes looking at the media and bias as they stay up to date with current events. Challenge your students to go past PowerPoint and make an online presentation using Animoto (reviewed here) or another reviewed presentation tool from the TeachersFirst Edge to share their findings.